


everything is possible, here in my dream

by najaeminnie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Dreams, Decide For Yourselves, Gets trippy, M/M, cant really tag stuff without spoiling, dream vs reality, mark is evil? but not really?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 00:46:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15718470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/najaeminnie/pseuds/najaeminnie
Summary: when he dreams, he dreams of him





	1. him

**Author's Note:**

> [time and dates! time! and! dates!]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twirls in] 
> 
> Hello fellas, so this is my child that i've been working on and off since april and ...I really hope you enjoy it
> 
> If at any point you feel confused...that's the intention so don't give up on me.

_ June 8th; 9:32AM _   
  
A whole eight hours of sleep. He lies in bed and looks at the glow-in-the-dark stars he stuck on his ceiling as a kid, realising that he has memorised the constellations from the endless nights he’s stayed awake staring at them. Insomnia has been a part of him for the past year, continuing even after his exams were over. Hoping for a bit more sleep, he turns to the side, pulling the duvet up to his chin and hugging it tight. He sighs in content when -   
  
"Hyuck!" a voice yells from beyond the room's door, "are you still asleep?"    
  
Donghyuck groans as he rubs his eyes, all chances of more sleep ruined.    
  
"What do you want?" He yells back as he drags his feet to open the door. "Do you ever consider the fact that I might want to sleep?" He continues as he opens it.   
  
A tall boy lets out a laugh as he flops onto Hyuck's bed. "Sleep? You? Sure."    
  
"Hello to you too," Hyuck says sarcastically as he flops onto the bed next to the boy, smiling. Jaehyun showing up like this was never a surprise; he was like the older brother that Hyuck never had and his family treated him like their own son. They even gave him a house key - something that Hyuck regretted at times like these.    
  
Jaehyun smiles back, dimples out in full force, as he ruffles the younger's hair. Hyuck feels the butterflies in his stomach wake up. Jaehyun really looked breathtaking when laying next to him like this. "Hi, ugly," Jaehyun says and Hyuck's butterflies die as fast as they had appeared. "Shut up," Hyuck says as he pushes the elder away.   
  
"So you slept? Did the pills work then?" the elder continues. "Do you feel sick?"   
  
"I did!" Hyuck replies excitedly, "I don't know what's in them but they're amazing. You're gonna have to get me some more. I slept like a child. It was so nice to finally sleep until you came and ruined it." He grumbled.   
  
"Aw, Hyuckie, don't be mad, you know I love you," Jaehyun says as he pinches the younger's cheek, "I even got you sleeping pills that actually work, for once, and you repay me by getting mad? I risked my life for them you know."   
  
Hyuck rolls his eyes. " _ Please _ , going to the dodgy seniors isn't exactly a life and death situation but okay."   
  
"You didn't see the way that Toyoong guy stared me down. I was literally shaking in my boots."   
  
"It's Doyoung."   
  
Jaehyun blinks at him. "As I was saying, if looks could kill you'd be scattering my ashes into the sea by now."   
  
"As if I could be bothered to go that far to throw your extremely minimised burnt form into some salty water," Hyuck scoffs, "Mixing some salt in water, throwing in the ashes and watering the flowers on the porch with it will do."   
  
"You'll kill them."   
  
"Well, a part of me dies every time I hear you coming up the stairs to my room so it'll have some kind of twisted symbolism to it."   
  
A pillow lands on Hyuck's face. "Look, if the pills are actually good and you don't feel sick or anything then I'm willing to sacrifice myself to the senior gang for your sleep like the great friend I am."   
  
"Thanks, sweetie." Hyuck says as he starts getting changed for another day out with Jaehyun, as he has for the past week. Summer break just started and he hopes Jaehyun won't get sick of him by the end of the three months. He misses Chenle and Jisung but there's nothing he can do to change that.   
  
"What would you do without me," the elder says with a smug smile.    
  
"Live peacefully and have way more friends." Hyuck answers him as he grabs Jaehyun's arm to drag him outside.   
  
"Way more friends?"   
  
"Your ugly face following me around everywhere is putting off potential friends from even breathing my way." Hyuck says and slams the door behind them.    
  
Jaehyun's laugh is heard throughout the house.   
  
_ June 9th; 3:45AM _   
  
"Hyuck get up it's not that bad," a familiar giggle is heard. Someone is shaking him and Hyuck opens his eyes to find Chenle smiling down at him.    
  
_ Chenle? _   
  
Hyuck looks around and finds himself sitting on the ground of his school's basketball court with his palms and knees bleeding. "Uh, what happened?" Hyuck asks Chenle.    
  
"Damn, maybe it is that bad...Jisung you might've given him a concussion you idiot," Chenle calls out to a lanky boy on the other side of the court. Hyuck squints to find his other friend running towards him and Chenle. An odd feeling forms in his gut.   
  
"Hyuck, I'm sorry! I swear it was an accident, you were just zoned out and I wanted to pass you the ball but,  _ agh _ , are you okay? Please don't tell me we need to go to the hospital." Jisung apologises as he crouches next to Hyuck with a worried frown on his face.    
  
Hyuck feels no pain so he answers truthfully - "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it." He gets up with the help of the other two. Unsure of what to do, he suggests that they continue playing basketball.   
  
"We can't now, he went home." Chenle says as he glances in direction of the school gates, shielding his eyes from the setting sun with his hand.    
  
"Oh, he went?" Jisung raises his eyebrows and looks in the same direction.   
  
Hyuck follows their action and tries to see what they're looking for. "Someone else was here?" He frowns confused.    
  
"Hyuck, I think you really need your head checked out," Chenle turns to him, "did you think we were playing two against one? I know you hate that so you were playing with him."   
  
"With who-"   
  
"There he is!" Jisung exclaims and starts jumping and waving at a figure walking out of the school building. "He probably went to get a drink inside while you were passed out." Chenle says and also waves.   
  
Hyuck squints to see who they're waving at. The school gates were pretty far away and the bright sunset made it hard to see clearly. He could see the figure of a boy waving back at the three.   
  
"Bye Haechan!" He hears the figure shout and a confused frown covers his features as he doesn't recognise the voice.   
  
"Why does Hyuck get the special treatment?" Jisung whines and pouts. "You know Hyuck is his new favourite, what did you expect." Chenle answers him with an amused smile. They turn and start packing up their stuff.   
  
Hyuck is getting frustrated. "Who is he," he snaps. And why was he his favourite? What do they even mean by that?   
  
Jisung and Chenle stop packing and look at each other, then turn to him at the same time with a glare. Hyuck found the motion eerie and unconsciously took a step back.   
  
Time seems to slow down as his eyes focus only on their faces, the court becomes a blur. He feels his heart rate speed up.   
  
"You know him," both say at once, "think hard Hyuckie."   
  
Hyuck takes more steps back as he becomes increasingly more scared and shakes his head to show he doesn't remember the boy.   
  
Everything is spinning. It's difficult to breathe and he stumbles on his own feet.   
  
"Don't worry," both continue as they step towards Hyuck, "you'll get to know him well."They say as they turn to smile knowingly at each other.   
  
Hyuck starts running towards the school gate but feels more dizzy by the second and keeps tripping. He hears laughs behind him; the two are chasing him now. What is happening?   
  
_ How do I get out. _   
  
Tears start falling down his cheeks as panic engulfs him and he continues running and tripping, running and tripping, running and tripping. The gate is finally getting closer. He stumbles out.   
  
Right into someone's chest.   
  
"Haechan."   
  
_ June 9th; 4:53AM _   
  
He wakes up with a gasp, his shirt clinging to his body from sweat. It must be the pills. The pills are making him trippy, Hyuck tells himself.    
  
Haechan? He doesn't even know a Haechan. With a sigh he lays back down on the bed. He wasn't himself in the dream, he was someone else and everything is fine. Chenle and Jisung weren't chasing him.   
  
Chenle and Jisung.   
  
His friends, whom he misses dearly.   
  
_ June 11th; 10:05AM _   
  
"Wake up ugly, we got things to do!" A voice yells before something very heavy lands on top of Hyuck's body.   
  
Hyuck groans. "How did you even get in?" He sits up in a panic, throwing a large body onto the floor in the process. "Did you break my lock? Are you mad?" He shrieks.   
  
"Relax, I used a hairpin. My skills get better every day." Jaehyun's eyes glint with mischief as he rubs his hurt elbow. "Why so aggressive Hyuck? You're usually a morning person." Jaehyun says as a frown shadows over his face.   
  
Hyuck flops back on the bed. "Sorry, I just didn't sleep well for the last two nights," he apologises as he rubs his eyes.   
  
The frown leaves the older's face quickly. "What's new," Jaehyun laughs, "are the pills not working anymore?"   
  
"No, no, they are, I've just been getting weird dreams because of them." Hyuck replies.   
  
"What kind of weird?" A smile creeps on Jaehyun's face. "Murdering me with a butter knife kind of weird? Or you dating both Jaemin and Jeno together kind of weird?"   
  
Hyuck quickly dives under his blanket, covering his face. "Shut uuuup," he drags, "we don't talk about that."    
  
Jaehyun laughs loudly. "My good fella Freud would say that your hidden desires show up in your dreams so..." Jaehyun drags and winks.   
  
"Okay psychology nerd, we all know that I like both of them and that they also happen to be dating each other but you don't have to keep rubbing it in my face." Hyuck grumbles.   
  
"I keep telling you, talk to them, message them, you got brave and got their numbers 84 years ago and haven't breathed in their direction ever since." Jaehyun lets out a disappointed sigh as he glances over Hyuck's annoyed expression.   
  
"You know nothing's ever gonna happen. They don't even remember my miserable face amongst all the beautiful boys they're always surrounded by." He huffs as he gets out of bed.   
  
"Maybe your miserable face in a crowd of happy faces is exactly why they remember you." Jaehyun offers.   
  
Hyuck spins on his heel to face Jaehyun and gives him an unimpressed look. "As if."   
  
"Well you'll never know if they remember you until you, I don't know, try  _ talking to them. _ "   
  
A dirty shirt thrown in his face is the response he receives. "How about you get yourself a boyfriend instead of constantly going on about Jeno and Jaemin. I'm starting to think you're the one that likes them."    
  
"I'm not into younger guys. But if I was, I'd be into you," Jaehyun says with another wink.   
  
Hyuck lets out a screech and runs out of his room, forgetting that he's only half dressed.   
  
_ June 12th; 3:56AM _   
  
He's in a cafe. It looks cozy; pistachio green walls and mismatched sofas, blankets with random tribal prints thrown over them. Dim lights and vintage lamps surround him, making him feel like he stepped inside a hipster art student's dream home. Nothing matches and it's oddly reflective of Hyuck's own mind. Hyuck finds himself on a sofa close to the door with an old wooden table splattered with paint in front of him with another sofa on the opposite side. The cafe's floor to ceiling windows on his left allow him to see the grey street outside. It's been raining but the aura is comfortable and warm.    
  
Oddly enough, he feels peaceful. This is nothing like the dreams he's had for the last two nights. Those left him panicked and confused, with all memories of the dreams faded by the time he opened his eyes. He only knew that those dreams weren't normal. Maybe he should stop taking the sleeping pills, he mused during the day. But that's not an option. He'd rather suffer from nightmares for 9 hours, which is what he thinks they are, than get 2 hours of sleep every night again.    
  
He stares out of the window and realises that the setting is foreign - this isn't Korea. He frowns as he tries to identify the city. Tall buildings and a mess of different coloured hair outside help him figure out that he's in a western country. Hyuck feels excitement build in his stomach as he hopes he's in New York - somewhere he's always wished to go but knows he'll never be able to afford to.   
  
Overjoyed at the thought he lightly bounces on the sofa with an innocent smile brightening up his features. He hears a giggle from across the table. His head swiftly snaps to the source of the laugh that wasn't there before. A girl with bright red hair is sitting across from him while flashing him the brightest smile Hyuck has seen in his 17 years of life. There's a strange feeling in his stomach.   
  
_ Who is she? _   
  
"Hyuckie you're so cute when you're excited," the girl says, "what are you thinking of?"   
  
Frowning for a few moments, Hyuck figures that questioning what is happening while being in a dream is the silliest thing one could do and decides to not question the girl's identity, wanting the story to continue as it should. For now she's Red - not very creative but it'll do.   
  
"I'm thinking about where we are...it's so pretty outside." Hyuck muses and rests his chin on his palm as he resumes his staring outside the window.   
  
Another giggle is heard. "Ah, I remember you've always liked the rain," Red sighs and also looks out of the window, "but the rain is much more mesmerising in Vancouver than in Seoul isn't it?"    
  
Hyuck turns his head to Red and raises his eyebrows. "This is Vancouver?" He asks, surprised. The name sounds familiar but he can't remember what country it's in.    
  
"Of course, silly, you've come here because you wanted to visit someone." Red informs him.   
  
"How do you know this?" Hyuck asks, forgetting that he decided not to question the dream.   
  
Red smiles sadly. "He told me. He told everyone."   
  
"Who?"    
  
_ Again a 'he'. _   
  
Red glances behind her and turns back to Hyuck. "Him."   
  
Hyuck looks over her shoulder and sees a boy around his age on the sofa opposite his in the next booth. Hyuck didn't notice him previously but now he takes him in. The boy is talking to a tall man sitting on the sofa directly behind Red's. He has black hair with a neat straight fringe sweeping his forehead. He laughs at something the man said and his cheekbones are prominent when he smiles, reminding him of Jaehyun's dimples. Hyuck finds the way his nose scrunches up when he laughs endearing and unconsciously smiling at the action to himself.    
  
They lock eyes. The boy smiles back at Hyuck so slightly that Hyuck feels the familiar butterflies come to life in his stomach. He bites his lip to stop himself from looking like an idiot with a massive smile and instead feels his face get hotter while the handsome boy continues staring at him.   
  
"Donghyuck." Red hisses.    
  
Hyuck blinks a few times and breaks eye contact with the boy to focus on Red. "What."   
  
The girl leans in and gestures for Hyuck to do the same. "He will try to tempt you, Hyuck. Don't give in. Don't talk to him and he'll get bored of you and leave you alone." She whispers. "Him leaving you alone is your goal in the dreams that will follow."   
  
Hyuck frowns. "What's so bad about him? He's a kid in a dream, like us."    
  
"No Hyuck, listen, he's more than that. He told all of us about you, he _wants_  you here, he-"    
  
"Joy don't you have customers to serve?" A male voice above their heads makes both of them jump.    
  
Red's - Joy's eyes widen in panic as she looks at Hyuck and he finds panic overtaking him too. Joy looks up at the male and Hyuck follows. It's the boy, _him_ , smiling down at Joy with the most fiendish eyes. Hyuck gulps.   
  
Joy lets out an awkward short laugh. "You're right, I'm sorry, I got too absorbed in our conversation. Donghyuck is a charmer." She gives the boy a bright smile and turns completely away from him to look at Hyuck. " _ Be careful _ ." She mouths.   
  
" _ Joy. _ " The boy says frustrated.     
  
"Sorry, I'll go now, bye Hyuck." She says cheerfully as she waves her fingers at him and walks away with the boy's eyes following her until she was out of sight.   
  
The boy finally turns to a spooked Hyuck. "Hey," he says in accented Korean, "no need to be so scared, my sister just talks a lot when she's supposed to be here to make money." His cheekbones show as he smiles and, seeing them close up like this, Hyuck finds him even more charming than he appeared from far away    
  
"I'm Mark." The boy says, offering Hyuck his hand.    
  
_ Don't talk to him. _   
  
Hyuck hesitantly looks at Mark's hand and decides to take it. Silence envelopes them as Hyuck stares at his shoes.    
  
"Why so shy, Haechan? You're always so loud."


	2. vivid

_ June 12th; 5:48AM _   
  
He wakes up with a gasp yet again.    
  
**Who is Haechan?**   
  
**Who is Mark?**   
  
He writes on a scrap piece of paper on his nightstand and falls back on his pillow, unable to fall asleep again for the rest of the night.   
  
_ June 12th; 9:55AM _   
  
"Hyuckius Leeus 'tis the timeth to riseth and shineth." Jaehyun announces as he bursts into Hyuck's room. When Hyuck doesn't move he shakes him by the blanket covered shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" He asks, worried.    
  
"Yeah," the lump croaks, "give me a sec."   
  
Jaehyun lets out a small sigh of relief. He looks around Hyuck's room while waiting for the younger to get up when his eyes land on a piece of paper on Hyuck's nightstand.   
  
"Who is Haechan? Who is Mark?" He reads out loud.    
  
Hyuck sprints out of the bed faster than he ever has and grabs the paper from Jaehyun's hands so violently that he trips on his own feet and slams into the floor.   
  
"Woah there, what's up with you?" Jaehyun asks while rushing to him. "Is the paper important? I'm sorry I read it." He says as he helps Hyuck sit up.    
  
"N-no, it's nothing, just something I wrote last night." Hyuck stutters while trying to avoid looking at the elder.   
  
"At night? You're meant to be asleep at night. Were you sleep writing or something? Is that even a thing?" Jaehyun spurts questions as he looks at the floor, clearly confused.   
  
"Yes but my dreams have been really...strange since I started taking the pills." Hyuck tells him.   
  
"What kind of strange?" Jaehyun asks the golden question once again. He sits down on the floor next to Hyuck.   
  
"I saw this really beautiful boy...Mark."    
  
Jaehyun snorts. "So we're going for foreigners now, huh."    
  
" _ Listen, _ " the younger snaps, "Before he talked to me this girl with red hair told me that I should avoid Mark and that I shouldn't talk to him. She said he told all of them about me and that he  _ wants _ me in the dream."   
  
"Wants you there? What does that mean?"   
  
"I can't figure it out. I've been awake since 5AM just thinking it through. It was really scary but strangely peaceful, Jaehyun, I've never been more scared but calm in my life. It's like he calmed me down when he introduced himself."   
  
"Hyuck maybe you should stop taking the pills..." Jaehyun bites his lip and glances at the younger.   
  
"No, you know I can't. I'd rather deal with this weird stuff than go back to the way I was. Maybe I'll see Mark again and then I'll tell you how the story unfolds." Hyuck says with a smile. Truthfully, he couldn't deny that Mark intrigued him and that he hoped the dream wasn't a one-off. In fact, he couldn't wait to fall asleep again already.   
  
"Well, if you say so," Jaehyun says, clearly doubtful, "I trust you to not hurt yourself."   
  
"How much can dreams hurt me Jae?"    
  
"I guess you're right."   
  
_ June 13th; 2:27AM _   
  
A library. Intricately carved wooden shelves surround him as he sits on one of the study desks with a barely working lamp that mirrors those of the 80s. He sees no computers around him which is unusual. Perhaps he really is in the 80s. He relaxes, waiting for the plot of the dream to take over.   
  
When nothing happens for a while he figures that he should try to trigger it so he gets up and turns to tuck his chair under the desk.   
  
The feeling gets to him first. Excitement fills his gut. His breath catches in his throat as he meets eyes with  _ him _ who was on the desk behind him the entire time.   
  
"Hello, Haechan, fancy seeing you here." Mark smirks at him, clearly teasing. "You never struck me as the studious type."   
  
_ Don't talk to him _ .   
  
But he wanted to  _ so bad _ . He's not one to accept a diss without firing back.   
  
_ He will try to tempt you. _   
  
But he wants the plot to thicken.   
  
And so Hyuck speaks. "I don't know about Haechan but Lee Donghyuck has been a genius since he came out of the womb." He smirks back and pulls out the chair again, straddling the back and facing Mark.   
  
"Ah, he speaks." Mark says and drops his book on the desk, leans back on his chair and crosses his arms. Hyuck notices an strange glint in his eye that he can't interpret.    
  
"Yes, I go against the rules."    
  
Mark raises an eyebrow. "Rules?"   
  
Hyuck remembers how afraid Joy looked of Mark and decides to avoid telling Mark what she said so instead says, "Rules of communication. That wasn't a nice way to say hello."   
  
"There's no need to say hello, I know who you are Haechan." Mark stares at Hyuck   
  
"You're wrong, I'm Donghyuck." Hyuck frowns at Mark's desk.    
  
"Here you're Haechan." Mark says with a light smile playing on his lips.   
  
"And where's here?" Hyuck asks with a mirrored smile.   
  
"My world!" Mark exclaims and leans back on the chair and spreading his arms wide to gesture around the library. "Mine, mine, mine. All mine." He grins at Hyuck.   
  
"Must be nice." Hyuck laughs at Mark's childish joy, clearly not believing him.   
  
"Yeah, it is." Mark looks around once again and locks eyes with Hyuck. "Especially because you're mine too." He says with a poker face.   
  
Moments pass and Hyuck swears he can see sparks in Mark's eyes. A tingle runs down his spine.   
  
Unsure of what to do, Hyuck laughs loudly. "Sure Jan."   
  
Mark rolls his eyes. "You don't have to be so obviously fake with your laughing. You may not realise but I like you. When you're here you're mine."    
  
They stare at each other what feels like years.    
  
"And how is that possible?" Hyuck asks, not breaking eye contact.   
  
Mark leans in to Hyuck's ear. Hyuck's heart beats faster at the proximity as he finds his face tucked into Mark's nape   
  
"Everything is possible, here in my dream."   
  
_ June 13th; 3:45AM _   
  
Hyuck opens his eyes with a smile on his face. He knew the dream was going to end there.    
  
Mark was more enchanting than ever now that Hyuck spoke to him and he finds himself wanting more. The idea of being wanted, even if it's just in a dream, made Hyuck feel warm inside. He replays the dream in his mind over and over again for the next hour until sleep envelopes him once again.    
  
The words  _ you're mine too  _ and Mark's face follow him for the rest of the day.   
  
_ June 14th; 4:55AM _   
  
He sees the sky. It's vividly blue, more intense than usual. Artificial. Hyuck stares at it for a while, enjoying the peace. Laying on clouds is less comfortable than he expected. Soon, he feels stiff and realises that he has, in fact, been laying on grass rather than clouds and laughs at his own stupidity. He's only  _ slightly _ disappointed at the realism of his dreams.    
  
Looking around he realises that everything is too bright. The colour saturation of every object in sight appears to be increased to the max, as if done in an editing app. It's clear that he's in a park; families and couples are having picnics on blankets all around him while cyclists rush past. Turning around he sees water and figures that he must be at Han river. He hasn't been here since he was a child. Ever since his dad began his new office job and his mum started to teach at a local nursery, they became too busy to take him to the river like they used to every weekend. Living on the outskirts of Seoul meant that travelling took over an hour by train, or 'an hour of my life I'll never get back', as he told Jaehyun when he suggested going to the river after Hyuck complained about it one time too many.   
  
But being here now he regrets not travelling. Once again, he feels like maybe he should stop complaining and make the best out of his life - Jisung and Chenle are gone and he will need to learn to live without them. Maybe he should come here when he's awake.   
  
Squinting at the bright green of leaves and the neon pink of flowers while feeling slightly dizzy, Hyuck decides that this is what an LSD trip must feel like. He finds himself walking to the main attraction - the river.    
  
In his peripheral vision he spots a bright light surrounding a figure. Hyuck lets out a laugh as the thought of the bright figure reminding him of a side quest in a video game hits him. He instinctively approaches it. He knows who it is.   
  
So he's not surprised when he finds a glowing Mark, in a rather fashionable yet casual suit, turn to him right as he's about to tap his shoulder. Hyuck smiles but the other beats him to it.   
  
"Hi, Haechan. I missed you." Mark quietly says. Hyuck wonders why the atmosphere suddenly feels so intimate - it's not like others could hear them.   
  
Hyuck rolls his eyes. "You saw me yesterday, idiot. Don't be so dramatic."   
  
Mark lets out a loud laugh as he rolls back and forth on his heels. "Wow, you've only known me for a day and you're already calling me an idiot?"   
  
Hyuck crosses his arms. "Do you have proof that you're not? Guilty until proven innocent."   
  
"Innocent until proven guilty."   
  
Hyuck scoffs. "Not in Hyuck's Book of Law. You said everything is possible so what I say goes."    
  
Mark's smile never leaves his lips. "You're right. I'm anything but innocent, yet I'll have to argue that I'm not an idiot."   
  
Hyuck chooses to ignore the anything but innocent part. "And why is that?"   
  
"I'm investing a lot of time and effort into you Haechan, and I like to think it's the smartest decision I've made in this world of mine." Mark says with a fond look on his face.   
  
Hyuck feels his cheeks heat up and looks down at his shoes as if they're the most interesting thing in the world. "You sound like some old businessman. Investing in me? What for? Smart decision?"   
  
Hyuck feels a hand lift up his chin and finds his eyes locking with Mark's. "I like you Haechan. That's it. That's all I need to make a smart decision."   
  
Hyuck didn't think his face could get any redder but, miraculously, it does. Mark smiles at this and hooks his arm through Hyuck's. The two walk next to the river in silence for a while as Hyuck tries to gather his thoughts together. Mark makes him more flustered than anyone ever has in the past.    
  
He decides to ask the golden question. "How do you know me?"   
  
A small smile ghosts over Mark's lips once again as he looks down at their feet, not meeting Hyuck's eyes. "I...have my sources. They told me so much about you–– that I had to see you. So much that I almost felt sorry for taking-" Mark suddenly coughs.   
  
"Taking what?" Hyuck prompts.   
  
"Nothing you need to worry about." Mark squeezes Hyuck's arm reassuringly.   
  
"Who are the sources?" Hyuck says, wondering who in 'this world' would know about him.    
  
Mark bites his lip and stays quiet as they carry on walking by the river. Hyuck notices that the colours around him have dimmed and the sky is suddenly cloudy. Everything is grey.    
  
Hyuck nudges Mark. "You don't have to be so dramatic about it, if you don't want to say you don't have to. I just find it weird that people here know who I am."    
  
Relief visibly washes over Mark's face and as he exhales. Sun appears through the clouds once again, highlighting Mark's cheekbones and Hyuck finds himself melting at the sight. They walk side by side for another ten minutes or so and Hyuck has never felt more peaceful.    
  
Mark suddenly grabs his arm and sits him down on a bench facing the river. He ruffles his hair, seemingly frustrated by something. "Haechan do you like your life?" He asks, surprising the younger.   
  
The unexpected question really makes the boy think about his life. He considers the pros (Jaehyun, Jeno and Jaemin - his favourite Triple J) and the cons (everything else). In the end, he comes to the conclusion that he still likes his life and nods in Mark's direction.    
  
Mark turns away while asking something that Hyuck didn't hear. "Sorry, what was that?"   
  
"Would you be happier here?" He asks quietly. His nerves show through the way he's sitting on his hands like a child and looking in the opposite direction. Hyuck is surprised that Mark's confidence can actually crumble.   
  
"I don't think so. I'll miss Jaehyun." Hyuck replies.    
  
For a second Mark looks like someone just kicked him in the gut, but the moment is quickly replaced with a poker face. He swiftly stands up and brushes invisible dust off his suit.     
  
"Why must you be so difficult, Haechan? Your life is miserable without Jisung and Chenle, I just don't understand why you don't want to stay." Mark half-yells.   
  
Something about the statement infuriates Hyuck. He too stands up and comes close to Mark's face. "Who do you think you are Mark? I don't know anything about you and yet you expect me to stay? Stay in a dream? You're mad," Hyuck pulls on his hair, "I should stop taking those pills, I'm going crazy."   
  
He feels raindrops hit his cheeks. Looking up he meets Mark's eyes which seem to be burning with fury so he looks back down. Mark opens an umbrella which seems to have appeared out of nowhere as the rain becomes heavier. Hyuck is soaked within seconds.    
  
"Too bad you don't have a choice." He hears Mark say.   
  
By the time Hyuck looks up Mark is far in the distance, holding his big black umbrella, and glowing once again.   
  
Hyuck sits back down on the now wet bench. Burying his face in his palms he attempts to interpret what just happened yet nothing makes sense. When he finally lifts his head he realises that the riverside is completely deserted while the rain continues to hit the water entrancingly. Hyuck drags his hands gently across the bench - a habit he used to have when he sat here as a child.    
  
He feels something ruin the smoothness of the wood and looks down to see something small scratched into the surface.    
  
**M♡H**   
  
_ June 13th; 20:56PM _   
  
The setting sun hits his skin gently as he takes in his surroundings. The sound of children squealing as they chase each other, mothers shouting for them to be careful, couples teasing each other. Smells of fresh flowers, leaves and water. He feels like he belongs here.    
  
After the dream, Hyuck felt compelled to come to Han river, willing to sacrifice two hours of his life for travelling. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't regret it one bit. He feels at one with this place and embraces the memories from his childhood.    
  
Deciding to stop walking and instead absorb the last rays of sunshine, he sits down on a bench facing the river. While taking off his jacket his eyes land on something small carved into the bench. A smile finds its way onto his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed 
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/the7thsensecult) // [twt](https://twitter.com/jaeminahs) ♡


	3. crying in the club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ah what's with that chapter name

_June 18th; 5:27AM_  
  
Hyuck turns in his bed for the nth time that night. Falling asleep has been difficult for the past five nights and he can only hope that his insomnia hasn't come back. But there's no other explanation - he's still taking the pills but they're not working. Kicking his blankets to the side in frustration, he picks up his phone and calls the first number on his contact list.  
  
"Hyuck what the fuck?" A croaky voice answers. "It's 5am, this better be important."  
  
"Jae, I can't sleep." Hyuck whispers.  
  
"What do you mean? Did you stop taking the pills?"  
  
Hyuck's bottom lip starts to tremble and he wants to kick himself for being such a child. "No I'm still taking them but they're not working. The dreams stopped too."  
  
Jaehyun's loud sigh results in static on the line. "Do you wants me to come over?" He asks.  
  
"Yes." Hyuck squeaks out.  
  
_June 18th; 13:45PM_  
  
"In a way I'm kinda glad the pills stopped working because it means I won't have to go back to the Toyoong gang." Jaehyun tells him while biting into an apple as they sit around Hyuck's kitchen island.  
  
"Jaehyun, you're gonna have to get me more." Hyuck says.  
  
Jaehyun chokes on his apple in response. "I know the last time you've had a rational thought was when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but this is beyond your limit."  
  
"Please understand. They're the only ones that worked and I don't wanna give up on them yet. You brought me so little. Please." Hyuck attempts to look like he means it by tearing up.  
  
"Let's try something else."  
  
"No!" Hyuck yells and clasps his hand over his mouth immediately.  
  
Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "Why do you want them so bad?"  
  
"I told you, _they're the only ones that worked_ . Do I need to spell it out?" Hyuck says, annoyed.  
  
"What makes you think they'll work again?"  
  
Hyuck shuffles on his feet. "I just feel like they will. Call it intuition."  
  
Jaehyun eyes him suspiciously. "I'll try but I'm not promising anything."  
  
Hyuck flashes him the brightest smile he can muster.  
  
Jaehyun ruffles the younger's hair fondly. "Just don't get addicted. Stop when you can sleep properly again."  
  
Avoiding Jaehyun's eyes, Hyuck mutters an "okay".

 

 _June 18th; 3:45AM_  
  
An old train. He's not an expert but it looks like the ones he's seen from his dad's childhood photos, so it must be from around the 70s. Hyuck scoffs - Mark clearly has a taste for old things. He can't help but wonder how old Mark is; he looks about Hyuck's age but with the amount of power he seems to possess, Hyuck doubts he's only 17. The wagon is rather empty and yet it seems to be boiling. Hyuck soon finds himself sweating and attempts to open the window to let at least some air in but, to his frustration, fails. He tugs the small hinge a few more times, but it remains stuck and Hyuck flops back on his seat as he hears people from the other side of the wagon laugh at his failed efforts. He gained nothing and only made himself sweat even more.  
  
He looks around the wagon and finds the colour scheme dull and depressing with ugly brown seats facing his own, something that can rarely be found on modern trains.  
  
Bored, he leans his head on the train window and finds it rushing past rather beautiful green forests and fields with a variety of farm animals spread across them. Hyuck is thinking about what animals he'd like to have if he had a farm when he notices that the train is approaching a small station where about five people are waiting to board. Unbothered, he yawns and continues thinking about animals and farms, deciding that Jaehyun would be the perfect farmer. He'll take care of the animals while Jaehyun takes care of the hay and vegetables they'll grow. But why would he agree to stay on a farm with Hyuck, he already annoys-  
  
A cough opposite him interrupts his thoughts. He feels _his_ presence without even looking and so he doesn't. He carries on staring out of the window. The action clearly annoys the other.  
  
"Haechan." He hears the other say in a surprisingly calm tone. Hyuck frowns, isn't he mad at him?  
  
This causes him to turn and face Mark who looked as stunning as ever, wearing yet another colourful suit. For a second Hyuck wonders how he manages to pull off such odd outfits.  
  
"Well?" The other asks and Hyuck jumps as he's brought back from his thoughts.  
  
"Aren't you mad at me?" Hyuck whispers, looking down at his hands.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Oh. Is it because I said that I'm happy in real life?" Hyuck says quietly, as if afraid to trigger Mark's anger.  
  
"Yes. But I made sure to fix that," a sly smile appears on Mark's face. "How have you been for the past few days, dearest? Or should I say nights?" He lets out an amused laugh.  
  
Hyuck snaps his head up and meets Mark's eyes. A hint of anger pulses through him. "Is that your doing?!" He exclaims.  
  
"Perhaps." Mark says, crossing his arms as if challenging the other.  
  
"You tortured me with five sleepless nights because you wanted to punish me for saying I'm happy?" Hyuck was now yelling and not caring about the looks he was getting.  
  
"I did it because I like you!" Mark replies. "It wasn't a punishment, it's for your own benefit!"  
  
"In what way would being tired as fuck benefit me?"  
  
Mark stays silent for a few moments. "Didn't you miss me?" He asks quietly.  
  
The change in tone and the question flusters Hyuck as he considers his answer. Hyuck did miss Mark. So much. He wondered if he'll ever see the other again and choked up on tears at 2am while wondering if Mark now hated him. He was shocked at his own behaviour; getting so attached to someone in just over a week was completely unlike him. Let alone getting attached to a _dream_ character.  
  
"Am I just a dream character to you, Haechan?" Mark snaps Hyuck out of his thoughts once again.  
  
Hyuck considers his options. He hated this attachment, so he lies. "Yes."  
  
The heat in the wagon becomes suffocating as Mark's eyes spark with anger. "Stop lying to me, Haechan. Stop being so difficult. Can you just answer me directly for once? Did you miss me?"  
  
Hyuck bites his lip. "Yes."  
  
The temperature seems to drop almost instantly. Mark smiles. "Were you happy in the past five days?"  
  
"No...I wasn't."  
  
"And why is that?" Mark pushed, leaning towards Hyuck who was looking down at his hands again.  
  
"Because I wanted to fucking sleep and you didn't let me you evil prick." Hyuck angrily says. Mark backs away. "What? Did you want me to say that I was busy crying over how much I missed you and writing sad poems about how much I want to be back in a dream because at least there someone wants me?"  
  
Hyuck didn't notice that they're now in a city. They're approaching another station, this time much grander with a never ending crowd of people on the platforms waiting for their trains.  
  
"When will you stop lying?" Mark yells. "I'm so sick of you. Why did I go after _you_ of all people? You bring me nothing but misery.”  
  
The train approaches the station. Hyuck feels his eyes tear up. "I'm sor-" He sniffs as he looks up only to realise the other was gone. He hastily moves to the window to try to see where Mark went and sees him getting off the train and disappearing in the crowd without looking back. He tries to tug at the hinge and to his surprise the window opens. He pushes his head and shoulders out of the small window and yells, "Mark!" He repeats the name several times, ignoring the annoyed shouts for him to shut up from other people on the platform  
  
The train starts moving again and Mark is still lost in the crowd. Tears well up in Hyuck's eyes once again.  
  
_You've really done it this time, Hyuck. Now no one wants you, even in your dreams._  
  
He can't see anything for a few moments as tears block his vision. He turns his head to the front of the train and feels a shock run through his body. Some 100 meters away, next to the end of the long platform, a figure was standing on the tracks.  
  
Panic settles in his mind as his breathing quickens. He gets out of the window and yells, "Tell the driver to stop! There's someone on the tracks!" into the wagon. Yet no one moved. Hyuck ran back to the window and squeezed himself out. The figure was still there, unmoving.  
  
"STOP! _STOP_ !" He shouted into thin air. No one could hear him over the sounds of the old train. Rain began pouring seemingly out of nowhere. The train was speeding up as the people on the platform became blurrier. The figure got closer by the second.  
  
Hyuck felt his heart stop. "Oh fuck." He whispered. Smiling at him, as rain hit his face alluringly, was Mark. Standing right in the middle of the tracks. "NO!" Hyuck screamed. The sound of thunder took his scream with it. "What are you doing?!" He screamed once again. He was hysterical; waterfalls of tears making him choke as rain hit his face violently.  
  
Mark kept getting closer and closer, smile never leaving his face, as if mocking Hyuck’s hysteria.  
  
Turning his head away from the harsh wind and Mark, his eyes land on the end of the platform which they're approaching. Time slows down as he watches everyone waiting calmly on the edge. There, right at the end of the neat line of people, at the end of the platform, standing dry in his suit, is Mark.  
  
Hyuck's eyes widen in shock as he snaps his head back to the tracks where Mark is still standing with rain sticking his hair to his forehead. He turns his head to the platform as the train passes by the other Mark who meets Hyuck's eyes with a poker face and follows them as the train drives past him. Hyuck begins to feel sick and dizzy. He slips out of the window into the inside of the wagon with water dripping everywhere. Time is still slowed down and Hyuck can only gasp for air.  
  
Suddenly, the train screeches. The driver slammed the breaks. The force is so powerful that it throws passengers to the back of the wagon and Hyuck screams when an elbow hits him in the stomach at full force.  
  
He hears the loud thud of a solid object hitting metal. He thinks about how Mark is still there, at the end of the platform, at the end of the line.  
  
Mark will be the end of him.

 

 _June 19th; 12:34PM_  
  
Hyuck has recounted the pills he has left over twenty times now, each time hoping for an extra day. He isn't sure why he has to recount three pills. When Jaehyun suggested that he'll get some sleeping pills that he's heard the Dodgy Senior Gang are selling to see if they'll help, they both laughed at the idea. Little did Hyuck know.  
  
He tries evaluate his options. Not getting more pills means no more Mark. Getting pills means more Mark. Hyuck clearly sees the wrong right option.  
  
He calls Jaehyun. "Hey, um, did you set up a meeting with the gang?"  
  
"Hi to you too, Hyuck. It's truly admirable that you put your _friends_ first before _yourself_ . Teach me your ways Hyuckie senpai."  
  
Hyuck feels the bite of Jaehyun's teasing tone in his gut. He's becoming selfish. "Sorry." He whispers.  
  
He hears a sigh on the line and can practically see Jaehyun running a hand through his hair. "Shut up. For your information, I did set one up. You can't even imagine how hard it is to get a hold of them in the summer. Luckily the Taeyong guy is kinda chill."  
  
"Oh?" Hyuck raises his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Yeah I saw him jogging in the park and just kinda...jumped right in front of him and nearly dumped him in the pond."  
  
Hyuck laughs. "You always know how to make a great first impression."  
  
"Yeah, you should've heard his scream. Who knew such a tough guy can scream in such a high pitched tone. I'm positive that I saw his piercings shake."  
  
"But did you manage to set up a meeting?"  
  
"Oh, right. So I show up in his way and say 'Hi, I don't know if you remember me but I'm Jaehyun - the guy who bought the sleeping pills,' and I swear he blushed. He blushed Hyuck! Who blushes over sleeping pills?"  
  
At this point Hyuck is on the floor, practically wheezing. "Did you ever consider that he blushed because of _you_ ?"  
  
Jaehyun snorts. "Sure he blushed because of me and you don't wanna make out with nomin."  
  
"That's not relevant."  
  
"The school's senior prince blushing over little old me? Maybe I shouldn't get you more pills, you're becoming delusional."  
  
"No. You're getting me them, sir. And you're neither old nor little shut up. What did he say?"  
  
He can feel Jaehyun's smile on the other end of the line. "He kinda stuttered out that of course he remembers me and that he'll try to get the pills and will call me when he does."  
  
"How long would that take?"  
  
"Are you just gonna ignore the fact that _the_ Lee Taeyong just voluntarily gave me his number?" Jaehyun asks, betrayed.  
  
"Oh. That's actually so cool, when is your wedding?" Hyuck asks.  
  
"Okay nevermind. He said it'll probably be about a week since they're all busy doing 'gang stuff'. Don't laugh, that's exactly what he called it."  
  
Hyuck still giggles. "Wow, he's way lamer than he looks - you'd make a great pair. I'm not sure if I'm gonna wanna associate with two handsome losers but if you ever become famous models then I'll hit you up."  
  
Jaehyun rolls his eyes. "And why should I care about your sad ass?  
  
"At least get me the pills before you become famo- wait did you say a _week_ ? I need them sooner! Jae I only have three left!" Hyuck's voice rises with every sentence.  
  
Jaehyun snaps. "Hyuck, I'm sorry but I'm doing my best here. If you want to, you can go to the gang yourself or go find them on some black market, I'm just trying to help you and if you can't wait five more days for a potentially endless supply of them then fuck off."  
  
"I'm sor-"  
  
The line cuts off.  
  
No one needs his apologies.

 

  
_June 20th; 2:56AM_  
  
Heavy bass sends vibrations from his feet to his head. A club. He's surrounded by purple. It's rather pretty and reminds Hyuck of the time he used to run an aesthetics blog. He thinks that here would've been a perfect place to take photos. Walking around, mashed between sweaty bodies, he thinks that the skin to skin contact is too much and looks for somewhere to sit. He soon realises that the extreme skinship is a result of him wearing a skimpy black tank top and black ripped jeans. He rolls his eyes at how cliché tumblr boy the outfit is. A sigh of relief escapes when he finally finds a booth empty of couple making out and drapes himself across the leather seats, even if his skin will soon disgustingly stick to it. There's a drink on the table and he has nothing to lose so he takes the straw between his lips and takes in an odd mix of alcohols. He's never been drunk before so he doesn't have the expertise; for all he knows it could've been drugged.  
  
He looks back at the dance floor and cringes at the sight. This is too much for him, he doesn't belong here. He loves skinship but not this kind, not with people he doesn't know. He wonders how people can possibly enjoy this, how they can look so euphoric while grinding on strangers' bodies. Hyuck thinks about Jaehyun telling him club stories and shudders at the thought of him dancing with others. He didn't want that. Slowly, he stands up and grabs onto the table. He's never been drunk before and yet he feels it kick in faster than he expected.  
  
Hyuck steps back on the floor and tries his best to shuffle past the never ending hoard of people to wherever the exit it while also touching the smallest number of bodies possible. This proves to be a difficult task as he sees his vision getting more blurred by the second. He can't believe one can be drunk in a _dream_ but this feels so realistic. He stumbles past and trips several times, catching all the 'fuck you's' and 'watch yourself idiot's' coming his way. The cycle repeats and Hyuck isn't getting anywhere nearer to the exit. The boy isn't aware that he's right in the middle of the sea of sweat and this time falls over because the tiniest woman he's ever seen gets in his blurry way. Maybe she's a five year old - he can't really tell.  
  
Soon Hyuck finally sees the end of the crowd and sighs in relief. But before he can step towards his salvation someone grabs his arm. He snaps his head around to see a blurry face looking at him. Mark.  
  
"Where'd you think you're going?" He asks the boy.  
  
"Out of here. Fuck off." Hyuck pulls his arm out of Mark's solid grip and is surprised at his strength. Maybe alcohol gives him some Hulk energy.  
  
He starts moving but, as fate - or Mark - would have it, he's pushed right back into Mark's chest. Hyuck immediately flushes red, not that it can be seen in the bright purple lights and for the first time he's grateful that he's in a club. Mark is wearing a matching outfit, with a white tank top instead. Which means skinship.  
  
Hyuck is too flustered to breathe evenly and hears Mark laugh because of it as he wraps his arms around Hyuck's waist. Feels him laugh, rather than hears. Mark begins to sway them to the beat of the music which, Hyuck notices, is now much quieter and calmer than before. The crowd on the dance floor begins to dissipate to rest and swing another drink before the next EDM song blasts through the speakers. Mark keeps swaying the boy as they stay in the same spot.  
  
"I'm sorry about what I said on the train. I'm sorry about that whole dream, I'm an idiot."  
  
Hyuck is suddenly hyperaware of Mark's breath on his nape and panics, wiggling out of Mark's hold and turning to him. Mark pouts. He _pouts_. Hyuck didn't think it was possible for him to get even more flustered but it appears everything is possible here, as Mark had said.  
  
"What do you want?" Hyuck snaps instead, trying to hide his reaction.  
  
Mark grabs his hand instead. "I'm sorry about what I said. Really. I'm not sick of you. I like you." He said earnestly, not looking up at Hyuck.  
  
The younger felt a pang of guilt. He tells himself he shouldn't feel guilty. Mark essentially told him that he hated him and yet somehow still manages to make the victim feel guilty. He hates the way Mark manipulates him.  
  
"It's okay, I know." He whispers.  
  
Mark looks up at him with bright, hopeful puppy eyes that make Hyuck melt. He hates this.  
  
"So you forgive me?" He asks.  
  
"I said so didn't I?" Hyuck replies.  
  
Mark's smile seems to shine through the club lights. "The Haechan attitude is back!" Mark exclaims and suddenly engulfs him in a tight hug that knocks the breath out of Hyuck's lungs. His heart rate increases rapidly. Mark has never been so soft before. Maybe he's drunk? Maybe it's Hyuck's wishful thinking in a dream?  
  
"Oh Haechanieee, there's no wishful thinking here. This dream doesn't belong to youuu." Mark says, dragging out words. The more Hyuck sobers up the more he realises that Mark is very drunk. He won't remember what he said to Hyuck.  
  
"I'm not druunk! I made myself drunk to be brave and hug you and say sorrrry! Tell me I'm brave Haechanie!" Mark crosses his arms and pouts like a five year old. Hyuck is shocked at what he's seeing - a cute side of Mark. He's never seen this before and finds himself wishing that Mark could just stay like this forever and not be as confusing as he normally is. Hyuck feels a warmth spread through his chest.  
  
"You're brave Markieee." Hyuck imitates him with a cheesy smile on his face. He shouldn't be enjoying this. _He made you watch as you killed him_ , he reminds himself.  
  
Yet the thought disappears as Mark _giggles_ at the sound of Hyuck's voice and Hyuck decides that he'd give anything to hear the sound again. "He's whipped your honour!" He can hear Jaehyun's shout in his head, like he shouted when Hyuck talked about Jaemin and Jeno for hours on end.  
  
But Hyuck isn't whipped. He's anything but.  
  
Mark pokes the boy's chest childishly. "Haechanie I'll get you a drink. You're no fun like this."  
  
Before Hyuck gets a chance to reply the boy is already lost in the crowd as another beat drop hits Hyuck. He thinks his organs will spill out at this rate. He turns around and finds the closest seat, which happen to be two clearly unstable cardboard boxes from drink bottles. Hyuck tests the boxes and deems them safe to sit on.  
  
He suddenly spots a familiar face. "Joy!" He calls out. Maybe she'll make waiting less boring; she seemed nice last time they talked. Joy smiles upon seeing him, looking more stunning than any model he's ever seen in her sparkling red dress and newly black hair. She carefully sits on the box next to him.  
  
"Donghyuck! Nice hair!" The girl compliments him. Hyuck frowns, what?  
  
"Your hair is red," she tells him, "you didn't know?" When Hyuck doesn't respond Joy simply scoffs and rolls her eyes; "Mark." Hyuck wonders if Mark wanted to see him with red hair.  
  
"Anyway, what are you doing here?" She asks, clearly confused but also happy to see him.  
  
"Take a wild guess. I'm dreaming." He says bluntly.  
  
Joy's smile drops slightly. "Ah, Mark again." She nods in understanding.  
  
"Trust me, I hate clubs. I'd never show up in one willingly." Hyuck tells her.  
  
Joy laughs at the statement. "I guess Mark wants to show you his life. He's testing you out." She says while fiddling with a red bracelet on her hand. Hyuck realises that everyone seems to be wearing similar bracelets. He figures that it must be a club pass and frowns when he realises he doesn't have one but shrugs it off.  
  
"What do you mean testing me?" Hyuck feels uneasy. He remembers that Mark's not as easy as he seems to be right now. He has a complex mind.  
  
"I don't know, Donghyuck. I don't know what I mean but he's being weird. He's never done this before. He's showing you around his favourite places," Joy frowns, "Be careful. You clearly went against everything I told you not to do, so the only thing you can do now is be careful. Particularly with your feelings."  
  
Hyuck shifts uncomfortably but stops when he hears the box crack and both of them laugh. But one question has been on his mind for a while.  
  
"Are you really Mark's sister?"  
  
Joy glances around. "We're all whoever Mark wants us to be. Think of us as...sims. He's the player."  
  
Hyuck feels a shiver run down his spine as dread fills him. "Is he just playing me too?" He asks quietly.  
  
Joy gives him a sad smile. "I don't know kid, for your sake I hope not. I like you. Clearly he likes you too." They sit in silence for a minute or two, feeling the beat through their feet. Eventually Joy gets up and flicks her hair over her shoulder, and once again Hyuck is startled by how beautiful she is.  
  
"Well if you don't mind, I'd like to dance." Joy looks down at him with a kind smile.  
  
Hyuck blinks a few times. "Oh! Sure, sure...enjoy yourself!" He cringes at how old he sounds but Joy just waves at him and disappears.  
  
Years seem to pass by before Mark finally returns - empty handed.  
  
"Where's the drink?" He asks the boy, who now towers over him as he sits. He's annoyed that he took so long for nothing.  
  
"Oh I left it at the bar. You can pick it up later." Mark says with a giggle, as if there's a secret only he knows. "Wanna dance?" He playfully bumps his hip into Hyuck's.  
  
"Actually, I think I want to go. This place isn't for me." Hyuck says and gets up from the box that has now fallen apart.  
  
Mark's smile drops. "Oh. If that's what you want."  
  
Hyuck feels guilty. He seems to always feel guilty around Mark.  
  
"Don't feel bad, it's not because of you." He tells him. This seems to cheer the boy up as he smiles once again.  
  
"Bye then?" Hyuck asks hesitantly.  
  
"N-n-no." Mark says in a child's tone. Hyuck frowns.  
  
"Not before I do this!" Is the last thing he hears before Mark leans in and kisses his left cheek so gently that he almost doesn't feel it. Hyuck's eyes widen as he stares at a smug looking Mark, clearly still drunk.  
  
"Bye Haechanie! See you tomorrow." Mark says with an exaggerated wink and falls into the crowd.  
  
Hyuck is too shocked to comprehend what just happened so he doesn't think about it. In his stumbling around on the outskirts of the club he finds the exit and finally gets a breath of fresh air that he desperately needed. He turns back around and sees a glowing neon green sign above the door that reads 'Neo Culture'. Hyuck once again scoffs at Mark's lame creativity.    
  
Mark. He hates the way Mark manipulates him. But it works.  
  
_June 20th; 18:09PM_  
  
Hyuck finds the place and walks in. It opens at six so no one is there. Hyuck's curiosity took over when he woke up. So there he was, getting on three busses and following a Google Maps arrow to a hidden place called 'Neo Culture'.  
  
Knowing his purpose, he walks directly to the bar where the bartender had just started cleaning the table in front.  
  
"Can I help you?" The man asks.  
  
"Uh, yes. I've been wondering if there's a...drink...or something else left for me. For Lee Donghyuck?" Hyuck asks, realising how stupid he sounds.  
  
The bartender looks in the fridge on the opposite side of the bar. "Nope." He says. Hyuck can't hide his disappointment. Not this time.  
  
He gets ready to go when a thought strikes him. "Is there anything for a Haechan?"  
  
The bartender lets out an annoyed sigh and opens the fridge again. He takes out a simple red drink with a strawberry on the side, no pretty umbrellas or oranges inside it. Hyuck thinks it reminds him of blood. There's a note attached to it.  
  
_Haechanieeeee ♡_  
  
Hyuck smiles and looks at the rather boring drink. There must be at reason Mark ordered something so plain. "Excuse me, what's this called." He asks the bartender.  
  
The man stops wiping the glass he's holding and laughs. "It's actually quite rare, not very well known. It's called, you won't believe it, Redheaded Slut."  
  
Hyuck nearly falls off the chair laughing. He laughs until there's tears in his eyes. Did Mark really dye his hair red just for this?  
  
He'll show Mark that's he's nothing to joke about.    


	4. thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello~ long time no see
> 
> truly i don't even have any excuses, i just don't feel motivated to write right now bc of school and work (I have a job, yay (!)) but hopefully i'll actually finish this soon because this and probably most of the next chapter were written in july and i just need to write the ending. which happens to be the most important, and so most exhausting and thus unmotivating, part so i'm not promising anything soon and at a schedule but i do want to finish it bc i don't want it all to go to waste
> 
> nevertheless, i hope yall are enjoying this so far bc i'm really not too good at writing and half the time i write at like 2am so it doesn't make sense 
> 
> i'll just post the next chapter soon since it's done and it's a Fat Dream
> 
> so, as always, love you~

_ June 21st; 4:56AM _   
  
Hyuck opens his eyes to darkness. He's still in his room. He checks the glowing alarm clock next to his bed and sees that it's early morning and he still hasn't dreamt. It makes sense - last night's dream was too good, he’s undeserving of a new one.Hyuck smiles when he thinks about Mark's pouts and whines. He'll never admit it but he found them endearing and wants to tattoo the mental image on his forehead for the world to see. He sighs and turns to his side, tucking his arm under his head to make himself more comfortable.   
  
The door clicks.   
  
Hyuck's body freezes in fear. His parents are out camping on their only day off so he's alone in the house and Jaehyun is staying at his friend's house for the weekend. 

 

An intruder. 

 

Hyuck racks his brain for ideas about what he should do but nothing comes in his sleepy state.  _ It's fight or flight, _ he thinks. But he can't flee if someone's already in the room. His thinking takes too long, it must've been at least a minute. He decides that pretending to be asleep is his best option.   
  
The floorboards creak as the stranger walks into the room. Having lived in the room his whole life, Hyuck knows the creak of every floorboard and is confused when the intruder seems to be walking around the other side of the room and pausing from time to time rather than approaching him. Panic settles in once again. They're here to steal.  _ But I have nothing,  _ Hyuck thinks. Somehow his first thought isn't his laptop but Mark's note to him from the drink, which is now more precious than anything else. Mark feels real this way. He hears the sound of paper being peeled off a surface.   
  
He jumps out of his bed. "Don't touch that!" He screams. Adrenaline pumps through his blood as his heart rate rises. He can't believe he's willing to potentially be killed over a post-it note.   
  
The intruder, now clearly a male, freezes with the note in his hand. He doesn't look like a typical thief - wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans instead of a mask and an all black outfit like Hyuck expected. But then he recognises the build of the person and his adrenaline only rises.    
  
"Easy, Haechanie, I'm just looking." The boy says as he sticks the note back where it was and turns around.   
  
Of course. Of course this is a dream.    
  
To Hyuck's frustration Mark looks flawless as always which doesn't help his heavy breathing in any way. Mark's hair is up for the first time and Hyuck can't stop staring at it while still awkwardly standing next to his bed standing in a pose that he thought was threatening moments ago.   
  
"I like your hair too." Mark says as he approaches the smaller and ruffles his hair with a gentle smile. Hyuck is still dumbstruck as he looks down at the small mirror on his bedside table and sees his mess of curly hair sticking out wildly like a clown's wig. He lets out a disappointed sigh when he realises he's still in his ugly duck patterned pajamas that are way too small for him. A completely different image from the last dream.   
  
He turns around to Mark who is now sitting on his bed and looking up at him. Hyuck thinks he's never seen anything cuter.   
  
"You look like you just came back from a party." He says instead and sits down next to Mark.    
  
"Mm, maybe I did," Mark smirks, "another night at the club."   
  
Hyuck remembers the drink Mark left and its name and his cheeks heat up in the dark. "You're a funny drunk."   
  
Mark lets out a small laugh at the memory. "I made myself drunk as soon as I realised that my outfit choice for you was too much for me to handle without making a fool of myself, so I thought that me making a fool of myself while drunk could at least be justified."   
  
Hyuck chooses to ignore the first part. "You made a fool of yourself by ordering me that drink."   
  
Mark looks smug, "Did you like it?"   
  
Hyuck shakes his head. "I didn't like the taste. Or the name. Especially the name."   
  
"Oh but the name was the best part!" Mark laughs at the idea.   
  
"You think you're so funny." Hyuck mocks him, unimpressed.   
  
"Heck yeah I am," Mark says and the younger wonders what happened to the dark Train Mark, as he now calls him. "Are you jealous of me coming back from a party?" Mark continues.   
  
Hyuck scoffs, "You wish."   
  
"I do wish." Mark says and the boy can feel him staring so he avoids the gaze. He hates how blunt Mark is, how he has nothing to hide. It makes him feel admired but he wonders if it's just desire.   
  
Mark nudges his shoulder. "Stop overthinking, Haechan."   
  
Hyuck realises there's something he wanted to say for a while. "Can you stop reading my thoughts?" He looks Mark straight in the eyes, "Please."   
  
Mark shuffles uncomfortably and drops Hyuck's gaze. "Sometimes I just...need to know what you think. I hate it when you stay quiet for too long, it makes me think you're not enjoying your time with me. I'm paranoid, believe it or not."   
  
Hyuck feels a warmth engulf him as he smiles down at his hands. Mark is insecure because of him? No way. "Still, can you please stop? It's only fair because I can't read yours and, oh, do I wish I could sometimes. Not even sometimes, all the time." He says.   
  
Mark looks back at him. "Really? Why is that?" He seems surprised and Hyuck wonders why - doesn't he realise how confusing he is?   
  
Hyuck finally meets Mark's eyes. “I want to know what you want from me. Why you're messing with me and my mind.”   
  
"I want you to stay here with me. That's it." Mark replies, "And I'll have you know that my mind is always a mess when I'm with you so there's no point in even trying to read it when I can't read it myself."   
  
At that, Hyuck blushes. He can't believe he's making Mark feel this way; him - a fool who falls for anyone that breathes in his direction, an unattractive idiot, an unintelligent being that barely scrapes Cs.   
  
Mark suddenly grabs his hand."Haechan...you're striking, extraordinary, mesmerising - you name it. Anything but unattractive. Don't ever think that again. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, inside and out. Who cares about grades when you're life smart and wiser than most people I know. You're not a fool," Mark hesitates, "because clearly you still haven't fallen for me no matter how hard I try."   
  
They sit in silence for a few minutes, Mark looking at Hyuck next to him and Hyuck staring at the streetlamp outside his window.    
  
"I told you to not read my thoughts." He finally whispers.   
  
"Sorry. That was the last time, I promise." Mark sounded sure so Hyuck believed him. Not that it was hard - Hyuck would trust Mark even if he said he'll kill him and bring him back to life. Once again, he hated this situation.   
  
"You're dumber than you look Mark," Hyuck speaks up, "you created this whole world by yourself. You lured me in. You're taking me around your favourite places-"   
  
"Who told you that?"   
  
"It's not important. You're taking me around your favourite places in your world and I just wonder why. Why me? Why do you play me? What did I do to deserve this mess?" Hyuck avoids Mark's gaze still.   
  
Mark frowns; he thought he was obvious about his feelings from the beginning and yet somehow the boy still doesn't see. What Mark doesn't realise is that Hyuck is a sensitive and doubtful soul. He needs care and protection from harm, none of which Mark could give outside of his world.   
  
"I just-" Mark stutters and tries to collect his thoughts, "I don't know why it's you. They just talked about you with such love and described you as the brightest thing they know. I gave in to the temptation and looked for you. You were even better than the stories they told me and I just had to meet you. I'm sorry, you probably never wanted this."   
  
Hyuck's eyes widen at Mark's words. It's the first time he's been so clear and vulnerable in this world. For the first time it seems like Mark isn't playing him, it feels like Hyuck is playing Mark by being difficult. And that makes Hyuck feel guilty for the umpteenth time. Guilt finds a permanent home within him whenever he's around the other. Nevertheless, he still thinks it's ridiculous to stay here. 

 

“They _._ Who are they?” He mumbles to himself and looks at Mark who suddenly looks frightened, as if he revealed something he wasn't meant to. Hyuck decides to spare the boy and his own already overwhelmed mind and goes for the lighter question.  
  
"Hypothetically, if I were to stay here...how would that work?" Hyuck asks, curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
Mark blinks a few times in surprise. He tries his best to hide his smile but fails. "Well, that's something for me to know and for you to find out." He says with a wink and all previous tension is gone.  
  
"You're not being very encouraging."  
  
"Trust me, I can tell that nothing I do is encouraging you to stay." Mark says as he flops back on Hyuck's bed and pulls his body up to rest his head on the pillow.   
  
_How wrong he is,_ Hyuck thinks, but simply hums in response.  
  
"I'll try harder, don't you worry." Mark smirks at him from the pillow.  
  


"Oh really?" Hyuck teases, "and what will you do?"   
  
"This."    
  
Mark suddenly grabs his arm and swiftly pulls the boy down next to him, making Hyuck let out a small squeal of surprise. Next thing Hyuck knows he's being turned to the side, arms are being wrapped his torso and a face nuzzles into his neck. Hyuck ignores his screaming heart and instead relishes this feeling; a warmth enveloping him, different from Jaehyun. He wants to question what's happening but questioning has never led him to anything good. He hears soft snores next to his ear. Hyuck laughs at the thought of Mark sleeping in a dream and wonders if he's just pretending.   
  
He wants to stay like this forever. He's falling asleep. He almost feels loved.   
  
But it's not enough.

_June 21st; 9:21AM_   
  
Hyuck wakes up to an empty cold bed. He knows he'll never wake up to Mark laying next to him but for the past few dreams some part of him seemed to hope. He wonders when this hope will disappear and realises that it's bound to happen soon - he has one pill left and didn't ask if Mark is aware of that fact. Saving it for later isn't an option; he needs to see Mark.    
  
Last night's dream has been an eye-opener and he can't keep it within himself. Emotions are bursting out of him and his heart is going to explode at any second.    
  
So he does what comes naturally - picks up the phone and rings Jaehyun.   
  
A groan vibrates through the phone. "What is it now?" Jaehyun sounds angry but it's unclear if it's because of Hyuck or because it's early.     
  
Hyuck pretends like his words didn't hurt. "Jae...I need the pills."   
  
Another groan. "Not this again, Hyuck. I told you that it'll take a week, do you not listen to anything I say anymore? Too caught up in those dreams of yours?" Jaehyun snaps.   
  
Hyuck could, should, feel ashamed of his behaviour but he has no time to feel guilty, he  _ needs _ to see Mark.   
  
"Can't you ask Taeyong to hurry up? I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you out faster than usual. You know he likes you." Hyuck begs.   
  
But Jaehyun is only getting angrier. "Are you hearing yourself Donghyuck? You want me to take advantage of the guy I like for you? Do you realise how bad it will look?" The older never shouted at him this much and Hyuck feels tears prick his eyes. What he's doing is stupid, what  _ Mark _ is making him do is stupid. He's on the verge of losing a friend and yet feels no regret.    
  
A sudden anger overtakes him. "Jaehyun you're my last damn friend in this world! My last hope for humanity and myself! My first older friend, my first crush, my first love and you can't help me when I need you the most?" He doesn't care about the fact that Jaehyun was unaware of his crush, he spits out his anger.    
  
"Hyuck-"   
  
"For fuck's sake, I'm  _ begging _ you, Jaehyun," Hyuck lets out a loud sob, "just get me some, even two more will do. I just need to see how the story ends." Tears are falling down his cheeks freely now, as they often did these days.   
  
"Why do you care so much? Why must I sacrifice my one chance with Taeyong for you? Give me one good reason."   
  
The boy's heart rate increases, he's panicking. He's unsure of how to phrase it but Jaehyun once told him to just say whatever is on his mind in the moment, and so he does.   
  
"I like Mark. The boy in the dream. I really, really like him. I just need a few more pills to confess and see it through. Please." Hyuck begs once again. Not exactly what he wanted to say but close enough. He'll need to say the rest to someone else.   
  
He already expected Jaehyun to laugh but it still hurts him when he does. "Hyuck, get yourself checked out at the hospital, these pills aren't doing you any good. I'll book an appointment and we'll go together. Lay off the pills for now. Haven't you got, like, one left anyway?"   
  
"Yeah." Hyuck whispers.   
  
"Good. Throw it away, don't even think about taking it. If you take it then I, uh, I won't talk to you, do you hear me? And you know me - I'll know if you took it. You always seem to have an extra glow after your dreams. I don't know what's been happening in them but you just told me you're practically in love with a dream guy. Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?"   
  
Hyuck nods, "yes", but he knows Jaehyun can tell.    
  
He hears a sigh on the other end of the line. "I know you're lying, you dumbass, I just wish you weren't." And Hyuck hates the way Jaehyun always knows what he's thinking. He sometimes wished that Jaehyun could enter his dreams and see what it's like for himself.   
  
"Look," Jaehyun's voice startles him, "if you're gonna take it, and I know you will, just be aware that he's a dream guy. I can't believe I'm saying this but don't let the dream guy hurt you and remember that you're in a dream. You can just wake up and call me if anything's wrong okay?"   
  
Hyuck drags a hand through his hair in frustration. Waking up from one of Mark's dreams is near impossible. He suddenly realises that he has no power to escape while in Mark's dream but somehow the thought doesn't scare him. Something tugs at him to be with Mark.    
  
"Okay."   
  
"Be safe Hyuckie, wake up, I'm booking your appointment."   
  
"I will."   
  
"Love you, bye."    
  
But Donghyuck will never say it back again, not when the feeling is no longer reciprocated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment and leave kudos if u wanna uwu
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/the7thsensecult) // [twt](https://twitter.com/jaeminahs)


	5. concrete jungle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanna say that i know what any of this means but...i don't, so enjoy whatever this is

_June 22nd; 3:55AM_  
  
He took the pill. Of course he did. He scoffed at himself internally, not entirely sure whether he's disappointed in himself or because he's such a fool in love. He went to sleep extra early in hopes of having a longer dream despite being aware that that's not how dreams work, but thought that Mark might have the power to make dreams longer if he wanted to. Mark seems to have a lot of power and Hyuck feels like he's only seen a small fraction of it.  
  
Lost in thought, he realises that he's in what appears to be a foreign taxi. Bright sunshine reflects off skyscrapers as it drives past cute small cafes and the occasional Starbucks which line both sides of the street. Green trees appear once in a while and Hyuck is mesmerised by the views surrounding him as he dashes from one side of the car to the other to look at both sides until the driver snaps at him to put his damn seatbelt on.  
  
He tries to figure out where he is - it can either be America or Canada. His heart flutters at the idea of Mark bringing him back to the city where they first met - maybe Mark will show him around this time. Much has changed since their first meeting after all.   
  
He thinks back to when Mark introduced himself and how scared he was of him after Joy's words. He lets out a snicker - how foolish he was. Hyuck can't deny that being around Mark makes him tense and that he doesn't feel completely safe with him but then what sane person would feel safe if a dream person wanted them to say in the dream forever. Hyuck has long known that he isn't sane but the past few weeks take the cake. He's just glad that he isn't at school to suffer through this.   
  
The taxi approaches a vast river and Hyuck's jaw drops at the sight. They're on a bridge. He opens the window and sticks his head out to look up. It's the Manhattan bridge that he stared at for so long online, wishing that he could see it for real. He's been wanting to go to New York for as long as he can remember and he thinks it's a dream. _It is a dream, silly._ The wind blows his fringe out of his face, freeing his eyes from obstacles and allowing the boy to marvel at the view. He breathes in the air, looks at the water and up at the brown metal and stone of the bridge. Time seems to slow down so he could enjoy the moment and Hyuck wonders if it's Mark's doing. But in the moment, he doesn't care - he's in New York, even if it's in a dream.   
  
It feels so realistic that he forgets everything that bothers him. He hasn't felt this free in a long time. He wishes that it would never end.  
  
He thinks about Mark's words.  
  
_Would you be happier if you were here?_  
  
At the time, he thought Mark was being ridiculous but now - not so much. He feels guilty for betraying Jaehyun with the thought. He wouldn't want to leave Jaehyun, but this is just a dream and nothing bad will come from wanting to stay, he's on his last pill anyway. So he enjoys the slow drive on the bridge, paying attention to every small detail; the way the sun reflects off the water, the exhaust of cars next to the taxi, the endless buildings they're approaching on the other side. A breathtaking view.  
  
However, all good things have to end and his time at the bridge ends too soon. His disappointment doesn't last long as the taxi enters yet another jungle of buildings at which Hyuck marvels. He cranes his neck to at the Empire State Building and his smile has never been brighter. They slowly drive past the busy Times Square and as the bright lights of endless tabloids and adverts flash across his face, he can't help but wish he had his phone with him to take a picture.  
  
"Need a phone?" The driver suddenly asks.  
  
Hyuck frowns but doesn't question it. "I'd love to take a photo but what's the point if it's on your phone."  
  
"Nah, you can keep this one." The driver says and holds a phone up over his shoulder which Hyuck hesitantly takes. The phone is empty and Hyuck is surprised that Mark didn't put some weird selfie of himself or his name as the wallpaper.  
  
"Do you want me to take a photo of you?"   
  
Hyuck looks at the driver through the mirror, "We're in the middle of the road sir, I'm sure people and drivers wouldn't really appreciate that."  
  
The driver raises an eyebrow, "Do you really think they matter here?" And Hyuck realises that no - they don't.  
  
So he gets out of the car to a world that has stopped. People halfway through a step, billboards frozen on odd moments and eerie silence around them. He's less shocked than he expected to be. He takes some steps towards a few people closest to him, observing the fact that they're not moving or even breathing and is fascinated when he finds out they have no pulse.  
  
"Cool isn't it?" The driver that walked behind him asks.  
  
Hyuck turns to him. "How can he choose who to stop and who to keep moving?"   
  
The driver chuckles. "He's a lot more powerful than you think, kid. We don't know how he works or knows things, we don't even know his name, we're just...born with the knowledge that he exists." Hyuck finds it odd that they don't know Mark's name. It makes him wonder how old Mark is once again, if the driver, who seems to be in his 30s, has known about him since he was born.   
  
"Oh," he shuffles on his feet, "has this happened before?" He gestures around him.  
  
"The freezing? No, personally I haven't experienced it until now. I don't think people realise that they've been frozen and just carry on with their day when time is back to normal."  
  
Hyuck looks around him once again, captivated by his surroundings. He can't believe he's here. But his smile drops when he realises it's his last time here.  
  
"Take the picture please, sir."   
  
The driver seems surprised at the boy's sudden harsh tone but takes the phone nonetheless. Hyuck fixes the branded jacket Mark dressed him in and ruffles his hair, trying to look decent for his only photo in New York. He tries his best to smile and puts up a classic peace sign as he stands in front of the frozen bright ads and yellow taxis.  
  
The driver takes a few photos and gives the phone back to him with a sad smile. "Something's clearly bothering you, but I hope they turned out alright."  
  
Hyuck opens the gallery to see that it's obvious he's upset about something. His smile looks fake and his posture is hunched. He sighs because there's nothing he can do about it, but at least he has a photo in Times Square, whether he somehow gets to keep it or not.  
  
The world unfreezes and immediately the white noise of beeping cars, angry yelling of drivers and hundreds of people talking simultaneously hits Hyuck. After such pin drop silence the sounds outside seem amplified and he jumps in surprise. They drive for another ten minutes or so before they approach the end of a road.  
  
"Here's your cue." The driver turns to look at Hyuck, who dozed off in the back seat.  
  
"What?" Hyuck groans.   
  
The driver laughs. "We've arrived at the destination."   
  
_More like the final destination,_ Hyuck thinks and opens the door.  
  
"Thanks for driving, sir, and for the photos. I'm glad you have steady hands." Hyuck smiles at the driver as he closes the door.  
  
"No problem kid, have a nice time!" The driver says and makes a U-turn to drive off. Hyuck stares after the taxi until it disappears around the corner. The man somehow made him feel safe in this unstable world, even if they were together for some thirty minutes and didn't know each other's names. Now he has no idea where to go.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ "Boo." _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hyuck screams in surprise and runs a few steps before turning around to see Mark crouching and laughing on the ground. Feeling his heart in his throat isn't an enjoyable feeling yet somehow Hyuck felt relieved at the sight of Mark. Him laughing was a rare sight and Hyuck couldn't find it in him to be mad. Instead, he slowly approached Mark who was now cackling while draped across the pavement. His silhouette casts a shadow across Mark's face and the boy squints to look up at Hyuck.   
  
"Hi." He says, mid-laugh.   
  
Hyuck smiles as if it's automatic for him to smile when he sees Mark. "Hi." He says shyly. Last night's dream has been on his mind all day and he blushed every time he thought of them cuddling.    
  
"Well, are you gonna help me up or what?" Mark asks, still with his back flat on the ground.   
  
Hyuck raises an eyebrow. "And what am I gonna gain from it?"   
  
"Uh, my endless gratitude?" Mark says, clearly not expecting the younger's attitude.    
  
Hyuck pretends to think about it. "I'll pass." He tells Mark with a fake smile and starts to walk away.   
  
He hears shuffling behind him.   
  
"You're going the wrong way!" Mark shouts from behind him and Hyuck pauses in his tracks. He can't lose like this.   
  
He turns to Mark, who is now brushing the back of his jacket off, and shouts "I can go wherever I want," back.   
  
Mark simply laughs as he approaches Hyuck. "Not if you wanna get out of here. I'd advise you to stick with me. Remember whose world this is."   
  
Hyuck considers this and scowls, storming past Mark while making sure to bash his shoulder against Mark's on the way.    
  
"You're such a child!" Mark yells after him and jogs to catch up. Hyuck only huffs in response as he stares straight ahead at the trees that line the street until Mark grabs his shoulders and makes him stop.   
  
"Why haven't you gasped yet?" He hears from behind him. He ignores the way Mark's lips are right next to his ear.   
  
"Why should I gasp?"    
  
Mark clicks his tongue. "Jeez, you really are an idiot aren't you? Why do I stick with you?"   
  
Hyuck scoffs in response, not understanding what Mark is saying.   
  
"Look beyond your nose for once and look up." Mark grabs Hyuck's head and lifts it up to emphasise his point.   
  
And there, standing authoritatively and looking over the water, was a massive green woman that Hyuck could only recognise to be the Statue of Liberty. This time Hyuck does gasp and he can see Mark's smile as he watches Hyuck's reaction from the corner of his eye. In that moment, Hyuck thinks that it's astounding - the view and the amount of power Mark has. His legs unconsciously drag him towards the statue as he steadily increases his pace into a run to reach it sooner.   
  
"Stop running, I'm not fit enough to chase after you." Mark begs as he gasps for breath behind him.   
  
But Hyuck doesn't slow down; this is his one chance to see the statue that he'll never see in real life and he has no time for Mark. "I can't believe you can't use some of your 'endless' power to give yourself some energy so that your favourite Donghy-Haechanie won't have to see the statue's butt for much longer."   
  
"I would," a gasp for air, "I would transport us but it's unsafe since you're not from here." Mark tells him breathlessly.   
  
They've reached the area surrounding the statue and Hyuck can see the sun reflecting off the water once again. A smile creeps on his face as he carries on running to get to the front, completely forgetting about Mark who was now far behind him. When he finally stands in front of the statue, he lifts his head up and shields his eyes from the sun with his hand. The statue stands mightily and looks out at the water while Hyuck is an ant next to her. It makes him feel like it's a metaphor for his current life - he's just a tiny speck in the world of Mark's liberty.   
  
Up close it's nothing special, just a bunch of oxidised copper, but to Hyuck it was everything he ever wanted to see. Since he was a child he told himself that he will work as long as it takes just so he could go to see it in real life, so being in front of it right now was a miracle.    
  
"Is it really that cool?" Mark appears behind him, startling Hyuck.   
  
"Yeah...it's amazing. How did you know I wanted to visit New York?" He turns to Mark.   
  
Mark awkwardly scratches his nape. "Ah, I, I know a lot of things about you, don't you know that by now?" Hyuck shrugs it off and agrees, Mark can read his mind after all, even if he said he no longer does it.    
  
"I've been wanting to see it for so long that it feels a bit unreal now." Hyuck lets out a sad laugh. "I mean, technically, this isn't real anyway."    
  
Mark frowns next to him and suddenly grabs his hand. Hyuck gasps in surprise but when he looks up he sees that Mark seems troubled. Hyuck wonders why his mood suddenly changed.   
  
"Hey, what's up?" He asks.   
  
Mark shakes his head. "It's nothing. It just...kinda hurts when you say things like that." He starts swinging their hands which Hyuck watches intently, surprised at the gentle action.    
  
He feels guilty. "Well, I can't exactly say this is reality can I?"    
  
Mark looks up from their hands and gives Hyuck a small smile. "You know very well that I hope that one day you'll stay and this will be our reality."    
  
Looking into Mark's eyes, Donghyuck can't deny that the idea sounds more and more appealing by the second. But there's no way he can agree. He looks up at the statue. Somewhere in the back of his mind, there's always the thought of his parents and Jaehyun. On top of that he has one pill left. That reminds him of his task in this dream.   
  
Hyuck unwillingly drags his eyes away from the statue and back to Mark, dragging the boy by the arm to the water.   
  
"What are you gonna do? Drown me?" Mark jokingly asks.   
  
Hyuck rolls his eyes. "As if you can die."   
  
"You never know...I might." Mark playfully responds.   
  
Hyuck turns to him and leans in closely to the other's face. He can feel Mark's breathing become quicker and smiles slightly at the thought of him, a simple boy, making someone as godly as Mark flustered once again   
  
"Wanna test it?" He whispers.    
  
Mark gulps. "I can't play with death."   
  
Hyuck quickly moves away and pouts. "Not even a cheesy 'I play with you and you're my death' line? I'm so disappointed, sir."    
  
Mark laughs, relieved about the proximity being gone. "I was gonna use it but I blanked out just then."   
  
"Am I that powerful?"   
  
Mark stares at the boy for a while.    
  
"Unfortunately."    
  
And Hyuck has to turn away to hide his blushing cheeks.    
  
Their hands are still connected so Mark tugs at them, making Hyuck turn to face him once again. "Don't turn away, you look cute when you blush."   
  
To Hyuck's despair, Mark's words make him blush even more and he lets go of his hand in order to cover his red mess of a face. Mark laughs softly on the other side of his hands and Hyuck peeks through the gaps between his fingers childishly as Mark pries his hands away and grabs them again. Hyuck feels a warmth spread through him at the sight. He almost fools himself into thinking that this is real, that Mark actually finds him cute. But this is a dream and he has a job to do.   
  
"Listen, I have to tell you something," he begins. To his surprise Mark envelops him in a hug and knocks the breath out of Hyuck's lungs. He hesitantly wraps his arms around the taller and buries his face in Mark's neck. There's no time for feeling embarrassed now, not when this is their last time seeing each other.   
  
"Be careful with what you say Haechanie, I don't want either of us to be hurt." Mark whispers into his ear.    
  
Hyuck's eyes begin to sting with tears. Suddenly all the confidence he had just seconds before is gone and his breathing is shallow.    
  
Mark pulls away slightly and smiles gently at him, wiping his tears away with his thumbs. "Hey, there's no need to cry. Why are you crying? Are you that happy to be in New York?" Mark pauses and looks deep into Hyuck's eyes which stare back at him. 

  
"Haechan I could take you wherever you want to go if you stay here. Just say you want to stay and we'll leave everything behind." He tells him with a soft voice, as if trying comfort a child.   
  
But Hyuck knows better. He knows he can't stay as much as he wants to and he knows this won't last for much longer. He feels Mark's gold bracelet rubbing against his neck and cooling his hot skin. He realises that he forgot to ask what the bracelets meant and all the other things he was curious about that he won't be able to ask again.    
  
His time in the dream is nearing the end and he must say it now. So he leans into Mark's neck once again, unable to look at face, and softly whispers.   
  
"I love you, Mark."    
  
There. It was out now and he couldn't take it back. Oddly, Hyuck feels no regret and instead feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He feels happy and at peace. Opposite to his reaction, he feels Mark's heart speed up as his breathing becomes shallow. Without warning, he's gently pushed away by a teary eyed Mark and Hyuck momentarily feels more hurt than he has ever been in his life.    
  
"You shouldn't say such things, Haechan," Mark says in a panicked tone, "Not when you're not planning to stay here." He looks around anywhere but Hyuck and starts to walk away, stumbling on air.   
  
Hyuck is dumbfounded for a few seconds before starting to jog after to Mark and grabbing his arm. Hurt is evident on his face when he spins Mark to face him. "Don't you love me too?" He asks, desperation seeping through his voice. Hyuck hated being so vulnerable but he has never felt more insecure in his life.   
  
"I told you to be careful of what you say," Mark snaps, "and now look what you've done - we're both hurt." He turns around to walk away.   
  
"I won't see you again." Hyuck says softly but Mark hears him and pauses, not turning around.   
  
Mark scoffs. “Okay.”   
  
"This is my last pill. I don't know what I'm going to do. Without you, without all of this." The boy is crying as rain starts to hit his head and washes away the tears with raindrops. Mark mutters something and Hyuck has no time to think about what it is amongst his outburst of emotions.   
  
He feels hands on both sides of his head, tilting it up and lips kissing his forehead.    
  
"I'm not letting you go this easily. It's too early. Don't worry and just stick around." Mark whispers and hands leave his face.   
  
Hyuck is left in a daze as he watches Mark walk away.   
  
Standing there, in front of the Statue of Liberty, Donghyuck has never felt less free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what even was that ending miss...
> 
> talk to meeeee in the comments thank u love u mwah
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/the7thsensecult) // [twt](https://twitter.com/jaeminahs)


End file.
